They died during a Feb. 28, 1993 gun battle during a raid of the Mount Carmel compound where sect leader David Koresh had stockpiled fully automatic machine guns, grenades, and ammunition. Six Davidians also died that day.

The botched Waco raid led to a 51-day standoff that ended when the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team stormed the compound, which burned to the ground. About 80 sect members, including two dozen children, died in the blaze.

Comments (10)

Displaying 1 - 10 of 10

Rick @ 2/28/2013 3:35 PM

The story is incorrect. Documents released at a much later date indicated that, against the Posse Comititas law, Delta Force played an active role in the final assualt and not just assisted the FBI HRT with the planning of the raid. It should also mention that several of the killed and wounded were due to friendly fire when agents began shooting through a wooden wall at each other.

Mike @ 3/1/2013 4:52 AM

Botched raid, killed their own with friendly fire, cupable in the death of 80 people including two dozen children and ATF still doesn't have it right.

Jaime @ 3/1/2013 7:04 AM

You would think that after 20 years the government agencies involved in this fiasco would be able to come clean. And I would think that a magazine such as this would be able to report the facts. It is no wonder there is so little trust in the government and federal police agencies.

Trigger @ 3/1/2013 8:11 AM

I have always wondered why it took 51 days to end that mess.

Hiram Lehman @ 3/1/2013 11:42 AM

The govt. spokesman continue to downplay and lie about the facts, including the central fact of extensive govt. lawbreaking. The initial raid itself was done as a publicity stunt to enhance BATF funding, and was used with a warrant obtained through blatant perjury. The warrant could have been served on David K. quietly and safely when he was away from the farm, but instead the BATF chose to make a violent raid including an attempted murder of the at-first unarmed David k. The deaths were by all evidence due to friendly fire. The raid should by law never have happened.

The second "raid" was actually a planned and premedited massacre. The feds used incendiary agents including "hot tear gas" against dry wooden structures on a howling windy day. They did not have fire fighters standing by and did not even notify local fire agencies. The massacre was, by the facts, "getting even" with the victims for what the feds falsely blamed them for deaths (which were actually caused by friendly fire.)

It is notable that the feds were in a giant hurry to raze and plow under the remains, before independent HONEST forensic experts could obtain proof of federal wrongdoing.

The Branch Davidian massacre, coupled with the murders at Ruby Ridge, did accomplish one thing; they made Conservatives distrust the feds as much as Leftists did. And with good reason.

The giantess Janet Reno claimed to accept full responsibility for the massacre. Why in blazes (no pun intended) is she not in prison?

Jim40yrs @ 3/4/2013 7:56 AM

The agencies involved were inept at the time of the Waco Massacre and the Ruby Ridge Murder and have not improved in 20 years.

Richard Hightower @ 3/5/2013 5:29 AM

This article is a lie -- the Branch Dividians did not possess ANY illegal weapons or other materials in violation of any State or Federal laws. The establishment was a shelter for people from broken homes and one of the way they supported the operation was through LEGAL sales of LEGAL firearms and related paraphanalia under a LEGAL Federal Firearms Dealers License. The "raid" was a propaganda stunt gone horribly wrong that cost inocent people their lives.

prk @ 3/5/2013 7:10 PM

I am sssooooo glad to see the ATF has cleaned it's act up over the last twenty years.

Dan B @ 3/6/2013 6:58 AM

To Hiram Lehman and Richard Hightower: are you guys related to Koresh? You have got to be nuts if you think there were no weapons in that compound and it was just a "shelter for people from broken homes." To Rick: since when does Posse Comitatas Law mean anything except to nut jobs who believe they do not have to answer to any man-made laws.

JKR @ 3/25/2013 1:41 PM

To Dan B.

The Posse Comitatus law he was referring to are the laws currenty in place that prohibit the military from enforcing civilian laws outside the military reservation.

The "Posse Comitatus" is/was a right wing anti-government group that believes any laws above and beyond the county sheriff are not recognized.

I don't believe the governments version of the Waco raid; I also don't believe the Branch Davidians version either. Somewhere in between is the truth...

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